Knee kicker



July 25, 1933. E. v. HOOBLER KNEE KICKER Filed Dec. 51, 1929 PatentedJul 25,1933

UNITED STATES PATENT: OFFICE" ELZBA vfnzoosmm, or WATERVILLE, onro' KNEEKIGKER 1 i Application filed December 31, 1929. .Serial 170.417.783.

use ofsuch a stretching implement, and one.

of the improved features lies in the construction of the'teeth orpron-gs which are allowed to penetrate the carpet to only apredetermined extent, thereby holding the carpet while preventing theprongs fro-m scratching or marring'thefloor.

This makes it unnecessary to provide for regulating or adjustingdevicesfor .the teeth,

and the extent of penetration thereof. Another improved feature liesin'the construction of the handle or head which is made good and strongand yet is'a soft pad to be bumped with the knee of the user instretching the carpet.

In the accompanying drawing: Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing theapplication of the implement; p

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the pad; and

Fig. 3 is a similar view through the opposite end of the implement.

The implement is provided with a handlev 1 having a block 2 attached toone end there of, and glued or otherwise secured to this block is a pad3 preferably of soft sponge rubber and of approximately the shape of rthe block 2, covering the outer side thereof.-

A strip of leather 4 or other similar material, such as fabric or thelike, is secured over the pad 3 and is metallic band 5. r At theopposite end of the handle 1 is a metallic head 6 having a'socket 7receiving the end of the handle 1 for securely attaching the headthereto. ,A plate 8 is secured held in place .by a

beneath the head 6 by set screws 9, or other form of attaching means,and a lip 10 is formed on the outer edge of the plate 8 to preventrelative forward movement of the head.

Teeth or prongs 11 are fixed in the plate 8 and extend downwardly andforwardly therefrom, as shownin Fig. 3, at an angle to the plane of theplate. These teeth or prongs are provided with penetrating points 12 onthe lower ends thereof, between which and thebody portions of the prongsor teeth are shoulders 13. These shoulders limit the extent to which theprongs may penetrate the carpet or other material and pre venttheprongsor teeth from extending through the carpet and causing injury. or amarring' of the floors, as so often happens where the extentofpenetration is not limited.

By the provision of such shoulders, no adjusting means is required forotherwise regulating theextent of penetration, thus simplifying theconstruction and making it impossible forthe degree of penetration tochange or vary. I

As is well known, this stretching imple- I ment is used in stretchingthe edges of the" carpet by placing the head over the carpet with theprongs penetrating the same, and

by bumping against the pad with the knee or limb of the person using thesame, the carpet is stretched and may be secured in its proper position.

I claim: I

A stretching implement of the character described comprising a lightmetallic head, a facing plate having a solid portion with soperforations extending thereinto from the under side, a plurality ofprongs or teeth fixed in the perforations, said prongs or teethcomprising pins of equal length andbeing v of approximately uniformdiameter throughout a major portion of their length and having a reducedpoint for engagingand holding a carpet or the like, and a shoulderformed-on each tooth or prong at the junc ture of the reduced point withthe uniform .90 major portion for regulating the extent of penetrationinto the carpet, the inner ends of the pins abutting the head and beingsecured in the solid portion with said sh'oulders equally solid portion.ELBA V. HOOBLER.

spaced downwardly from said

